Who has time to be sick? Better question. Who has time for a sick spouse? Sick toddler?? That’s what I thought.
This mild, wild, and crazy winter has everyone well one day and down for the count the next. In February, I had grass and a cherry blossoms blooming in my front yard. Hello, allergies. In February?! But in true Tennessee fashion, I have no doubt that a snowpocalype is still possible this “winter.”
I, like the rest of us, have no time or patience for icky sickness. So at the first cough, sneeze, scratchy throat, or itchy ear, I jump into action. It would probably do me some good to just make this a daily practice up front. But who has time for that? Maybe one day I will learn. For now, however, my top 5 home remedies our family uses to get ahead of a cold:
STOP the Sugar.
Sugar feeds sickness. I don’t know all the science behind it, but our family doctor says nix the sugar. So set those fruit snacks aside (and pretty much any other processed treat). Hand your little a mandarin orange or apple slices. Sweet treat for them and boost of natural vitamins.
Elderberry Syrup.
Have you heard about this magical elixir? For months a friend told me to pick some up for my coughy, snotty toddler. Once I finally did? I WAS SOLD. Within 48 hours, congestion that seemed never ending was gone. You can take a dose daily for prevention or dose up hourly to fight current sickness. Best part? It taste great. So no worries about a kiddo running from you with hands flailing while screaming, “I don’t like medicine!” For the parents, this is a great chaser for my next suggestion.
Apple Cider Vinegar.
No frills here. One to two tablespoons in a shot glass, and shoot that baby back. Do it once and you will know why I suggested a chaser. Bleh. Not pleasant. It is a lot to take in, but cleaning out your gut can be seriously helpful when trying to stay healthy and fighting off germs. I have found no good way to get my 2 year old to drink this. So skip this part for the kids. (Or tell me your secret!) Want something a bit tastier? Make a tea with hot water, equal parts apple cider vinegar and honey, and a bit of lemon. In fact, whip this up and then…
Epsom Salt Bath.
Run a warm bath for you or the littles, throw in 1/2 cup to 1 cup epsom salt. Soak for at least twenty minutes. Epson salt helps your body relax and detox. For kids, make sure it’s dissolved before you throw them in. Or risk your toddler trying to eat the salt… [speaking from experience]. Momma, you throw some essential oils in and sip on your acv tea. You are NOT going down this time. Next up.
Rest.
What?! You can rest when you are dead right? Nope. If you take the time to rest up early on, your body has time to soak up all the good from above and fight off those nasty germs. So throw a cartoon on the tv, tell the kids… and your spouse… to leave you alone. And rest. Everyone goes to bed early.
In short? Allergies are looming. And head colds are killer. So do your body some good and start some of these habits now. There is nothing worse than missing out on a beautiful sunny day in the 70s because everyone is laid up sick.
